


Angaran Biology & Culture

by MyrddinDerwydd



Series: Vakara Ryder [4]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Agender Character, Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alien Gender/Sexuality, Alien Sex, Alien Technology, Alien/Human Relationships, Angaran Expansion Project, Encyclopedia, F/F, F/M, Gen, Languages and Linguistics, Lore - Freeform, M/M, Meta, Transsexual, angara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-09-06 10:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20290207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyrddinDerwydd/pseuds/MyrddinDerwydd
Summary: The angara are a fascinating race. However, our meeting with them takes place so quickly and during such a complex series of events that there would have been a lot of confusion and missing information... Where were we? Right. This is an attempt to straighten out and add to our knowledge of the angara, particularly in regards to their biology.Note: Most information is canon-compliant, with the conflicts clearly explained. If you have your own headcanons about angara that are different, or if you prefer the canon exactly as presented in the game, please enjoy peaceably.





	1. Angaran Biology - The Story

**Author's Note:**

> Note: If you'd prefer to skip narrative sections with my F!Ryder and Jaal, those chapters are marked "- The Story" and the relevant info will always in other encyclopedia-type chapters.

> **From the Encyclopedia Nexus:**
> 
> _ “...Angara hands have the bone structure for five fingers, but the final three fingers on each hand are densely webbed together into a single digit. Angara are sexually dimorphic: male angara are taller than females, and females have wider hips and rounder faces. Skin colors feature various shades of blue or mauve, sometimes shading into green or tan. Their blood is deep blue in color...” _

Vakara Ryder read over the entry a third time. As simple as the encyclopedia article was, it still had to be wrong - or else Torvar was pulling a surprisingly thorough practical joke. The article matched with what she knew, didn’t it? Jaal was tall and broad-shouldered - 2 meters tall and strong enough to toss kett around on the battlefield - and he was male. Right? She had been corresponding casually with several angara on other planets for a while now, including Torvar, the tall, heavily-built research assistant at Pelaav Research Station on Havarl. She had thought she knew him, would have called him a friend, but now… Well, now she was confused. 

The door slid open with a quiet swish, revealing a half-dressed Jaal in the Tempest's crew quarters. The angara’s wide back was toward Vakara, the long curve of his  _ jinesh _ running down his spine. Jaal glanced over a shoulder at the sound of the door and smiled warmly. 

“Hello, darling one.” Jaal pulled Vakara into a hug with one arm, a newly repaired shirt of pale green in the other hand. She returned the hug, wrapping an arm around his narrow waist and unintentionally hitting him with the datapad in her hand. 

“ _ Jafaarl, _ I am so confused.” Vakara had asked Jaal about terms of endearment in a romantic relationship after they’d spoken at his family’s home on Havarl, but now she wondered if simpler questions would have been better… such as whether he was an angaran man or woman. She would swear that she’d heard Lathoul call Jaal ‘brother,’ but now she was unsure. Maybe it didn’t mean what she thought, or maybe she was just going crazy. 

“I was talking with Torvar, and they were really excited to have a baby on the way, and were talking about their plans for when it’s born. So, I asked about whether his partner was excited too and if this was her first child… but then I think it must have turned into a joke, Jaal.” The look Jaal was giving her seemed a mix of joy and amusement, and Vakara’s face heated. The words kept tumbling out though; she could handle Jaal laughing at her if it came down to it. “Torvar said it was his… or I guess her… first child, which is confusing enough, but then they sent me a photo of an egg! A speckled blue-green egg!” 

Jaal went still when Vakara mentioned the egg, then grinned widely and swept her into a more enthusiastic hug, swinging her around despite the tight quarters. “That is wonderful, Ryder! That you have made such a friend of Torvar that they would tell you such important news is fantastic! We angara may speak much of family, but to share details and photos is very personal, darling one.” Jaal pressed a brief kiss to Ryder’s forehead and set her down. “You are a marvel… Hmmmm. You do not seem excited. Do not worry! The egg will be fine.” 

“I’m… not worried, Jaal. I think.” Vakara sighed. “The eggs are real? Not a joke? Angara really have eggs?” She asked, looking up and meeting Jaal’s eyes, his dark pupils narrow in the bright artificial lights. 

“Oh, you did not know?” Jaal ducked his head in a laugh, then stifled it into an amused smile. “Mmm. Yes, eggs. One or two is most common, and a mother is not always happy with three at once.” Vakara’s eyes widened, eyebrows climbing toward her hairline. 

“Alright, eggs. Fantastic. Weird, but great.” Now for the next issue. “So, Torvar sent me a picture of his partner’s egg, then? That’s exciting!” 

“Mmmm, possible.” Jaal squeezed her lightly, then stepped away and pulled the shirt over his head. It was a simple work shirt she’d seen before - long, close-fitting sleeves, with wide fabric straps that would pull the shirt snug around his waist. “More likely, it is a picture of their own egg. That is more something the mother would do.”

“...Torvar’s egg,” Vakara repeated hesitantly. “You’ve met Torvar, Jaal… and he looks a lot like you. So how could he have an egg? Wouldn’t he be the father? Isn’t he a man… like you?” The final question trailed off quietly. 

Jaal’s expression was unusually serious, but he was still smiling gently as he hooked the straps of the shirt across his stomach. “This I knew would need to be discussed eventually, but I did not think it necessary to create a problem when no offense was being taken.” Jaal shrugged one wide shoulder. “Your translation program mixes our personal words together in awkward ways that are… frequently incorrect. I don’t understand why, but you often call people by their sex, even when you have just met! How would you know? It is no wonder that you are wrong at least two times in four.”

“Why do you say we wouldn’t know? Don’t angaran men and women look different?” Vakara showed Jaal the datapad with the angaran encyclopedia entry. “Broad shoulders, tall - like you, like Torvar.” 

It took a moment for the printed english text to run through Jaal’s own translator, and he scowled in irritation. “No, Vakara.” Jaal huffed, rubbing his broad hand across Vakara’s back comfortingly. The problem was with the text - not her. “I have known Torvar for many years, and  _ she _ has long looked forward to having children of  _ her own _ ." He emphasized the words describing Torvar, and Vakara realized that the translator was taking several words Jaal said and turning them into one pronoun. "I am male right now, yes. But I do not believe we have a word for ‘man’ or ‘woman’ in the same way that you seem to. You say ‘turian woman’ or ‘angaran man’ like it is a thing. Why do you do that?” 

Vakara hesitated. The obvious answer was… obviously wrong, somehow. “Because it’s literally part of who a person is, physically. If a person of most species has the genetic code for being female, they have different organs, hormones, shape… I feel like I’m stating the obvious, Jaal.” 

“But you use the same words for people who look completely different, even when they are the same species! I have heard you say ‘she’ for a human who is tall and broad, with hard lines to their face and short hair. Then you also say ‘she’ for yourself, who is short, with a soft, sweet face, and a curvy shape!” Jaal slid an affectionate hand down her ribs and over the curve of her waist, leaving it there as he continued. “Liam is barely taller than you are, and has similar facial features and strength, but without the curves - yet you say ‘he’ and call him a ‘man.’” 

Jaal chuckled, his tone losing some of its irritated edge. “Do these words mean nothing? Yes, you and Liam are apparently different sexes, but only his telling me this, or seeing both of you unclothed would have shown this to be true. You both even share the same brown skin color and darker hair!"

“I, uhh… well, I guess calling someone a man or woman is based on how you think they look, at least with humans. Which is… gender,” Vakara continued slowly. “And completely based on cultural assumptions. Damn. We still mix stereotypes about social gender expectations and physical sex together pretty hard, don’t we?” 

“What does that mean? What is 'genn-dah'? Why would you expect a person to look a certain way because they are male, or because they are female? Or wait,” Jaal interrupted himself. “Does everyone know if a human changes their sex? How would they signal the change to the others when there are so few differences between how human ‘men’ and ‘women’ look?”

“Changing their sex? That’s not common, Jaal.” Vakara sat down on the edge of Jaal’s bunk. “Why would you even ask about that? Anyone transexual on the Nexus would have transitioned well before coming here, those surgeries aren’t simple. People often change what they wear, and bits of how they look, but they don’t usually change sex.”

Jaal’s brow ridges rose in obvious surprise, blue eyes widening. “Ohhh.” They drew the word out into a dramatic revelation of extreme importance and moved smoothly to sit beside Vakara. “Angara do.” Jaal held Vakara’s gaze for a moment before continuing. “Angara are  _ aasabitara _ . It only takes a few months’ time for someone to change sex.” 

Vakara pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to wrap her head around what Jaal had just said. It took a moment for the translator to parse  _ aasabitara _ … which meant hermaphroditic. “So even though angara look very diverse, it has nothing to do with them being male or female?” 

Jaal nodded, completely serious. “Humans are also very diverse, with a lot of overlap between those who you call ‘men’ and ‘women.’ You even use another word sometimes - ‘they.’ It seems to just mean a 'person'… which makes a lot more sense to me, Vakara.” 

“Urrrghh…” Vakara flopped back on Jaal’s bunk with a groan. She looked up at Jaal, who seemed mildly amused but still serious. This quiet reservedness from him… them… was rare, and said a lot about how important the information was. “I’m sorry. We really should know better, it’s not like this is our first time meeting a completely new culture or species. Surely one of the asari or salarians has noticed the odd pronoun translations! I’m not sure why someone made those sorts of big assumptions about your people, Jaal. If you help me, I’ll find a way to set it right.” 

Their smile broadened into a fond grin, and Jaal leaned down, pressing his lips against Vakara’s in a warm kiss. “Remember, this is the Angara’s first time really meeting another species we could truly learn to know well. If there were ever others, such as the Yevara, the memory of them has been lost to the Scourge.” Jaal stood swiftly, reaching out an inviting hand to Vakara. “Come. I am not the best person to explain this, but it will be good for both of us.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shelesh words  
**jafaarl** \- "my strength" a term of endearment  
**aasabitara** \- hermaphroditic, able to change reproductive sex  



	2. Angaran Biology - Overview

Angara have a large-boned, digitigrade, bipedal body form with adaptations for amphibious life. They have a similar leg structure to a quarian, a salarian or a kett, along with relatively broad shoulders and narrow waists. Their hands have the bone structure for five fingers, but the final three fingers on each hand are thickly webbed together into a single broad digit. Angara exhibit a wide range of body builds that correspond to some extent with the planetary environments of their ancestors. They are hermaphroditic (_aasabitara_) and show minimal sexual dimorphism, with a full spectrum of outward morphological characteristics seen in both male (_ryaa_) and female (_ooya_) angara. 

Although angaran facial features are generally somewhat similar to humans and asaari, with lips and two large eyes with blue irises arranged for binocular vision, their noses do not protrude as strongly and they do not have hair. Long folds of flesh, known as the _ jinesh _, or cowl, arch away from their foreheads, around their neck, and down their spine. The regions between the folds serve several sensory functions, permit them to breathe underwater, and serve as a primary focus for detecting and manipulating bioelectric fields. 

Overall, their biology is most comparable to warm-blooded monotreme mammals on Terra (Earth), such as the platypus. Angara are also fairly tolerant of extreme environmental temperatures and require both sunlight and food to supply their metabolic needs. Their skin is flexible and smooth, with a slightly more rubberized consistency than human skin. Colors are primarily various shades of blue or mauve, sometimes shading into green or tan. Their blood is deep blue in color.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shelesh Vocabulary  
**aasabitara** \- hermaphroditic, able to change reproductive sex  
**ooya** \- female, biological sex; Always used as an adjective, not a noun. No Shelesh word for ‘woman’  
**ryaa** \- female, biological sex; Always used as an adjective, not a noun. No Shelesh word for ‘woman’  
**jinesh** \- high covering; cowl, collective term for the long folds of flesh around their head & neck


	3. Angaran Culture - Gender

Gender roles do not exist in angaran society, and few actions outside of childbearing and nursing are associated with a particular sex. An angara who has changed sex is _ layjonn _ (twice curved or turning curve), which is common, and alters very little of their external morphology. Physical build and shape varies more strongly with habitat on the individual’s ancestral planet than with any other factor, including sex. Specifically, angara who are short, of light build, or with a smaller, smooth _ jinesh _(the folded crest around the head and neck) are equally likely to be male or female.

  * Example 1) A tall broad-shouldered angara working in a dangerous location on an excavation team is female, simply not currently nursing kits, or with other mothers in their family caring for their children because of their profession.
  * Example 2) Moshae Sjefa has a smooth _jinesh _with thin skin and folds that can collapse tightly, sealing the sensitive openings more thoroughly than on other angara. This does not indicate that the Moshae is female. Rather, their ancestors were adapted to the desert world of Elaaden, where these traits were beneficial for thermoregulation and protection from the sand. In truth, Moshae Sjefa is _layjonn _and was female when rescued by Pathfinder Ryder, though also past childbearing age.

Angaran personal pronouns do not convey information about sex or gender, as with humans. Instead, they convey an individual’s relationship to the other angara, as well as information about the angara being referenced. The pronoun used can vary between individuals. 

  * Example1) Jaal views Torvar as a peer and uses _toh_, the personal pronoun for peers or similarly-aged siblings. On the other hand, Torvar is a bit awed by Jaal’s position in the Resistance, so they tend to err on the side of using _goh _or even _mohnin_, a generic pronoun and one for an elder, respectively. Torvar is flattered that Jaal views them as a peer, while it annoys Jaal to be called _mohnin _by someone they have known for many years. It’s a minor point of contention between the two angara that disappears in more casual interactions, with both of them using _toh_. 
  * Example 2) There are 4 common words for siblings - _laon _(any), _yalaon _(elder), _olaon _(younger), and _sholaon _(adopted). Bavsil and Jaal are similar in age, so they both tend to use _laon _and _toh _with each other. Koana is a bit older, so Jaal refers to them as _yalaon _and uses the pronouns _toh _or _goh_. In turn, Koana calls Bavsil _olaon _but does not use _poh_, the pronoun for a child, unless they are deliberately being playful or derisive. _“Oko poh!”_ Would be the equivalent of saying “Hey kid!” to your grown sibling. It causes about the same type of reaction between adults of any sentient species.

Given that not all animals in _ Jave Jarevaeon _ (Andromeda) are hermaphroditic and many show pronounced sexual dimorphism, angara do understand the concept of using sex-specific nouns and pronouns as some _ Jarevaeon Imasaf _ (Milky Way) species do. Most angara are more confused than offended by being referred to with gendered or sex-specific pronouns. Angara who are _ kegati _ (asexual) or _ kemohsen _(non-parental, uninterested in rearing children) are most likely to be aggravated by these pronouns, as they are dissociated from their biological sex in some way. 

Eventually, terms for gender appear in Shelesh as this concept is understood, such as _ malijen _, meaning masculine or masculinity. However, the angara are generally outraged at the idea of oppressing or limiting a capable individual because of their sex or gender. Unsurprisingly, the topic has caused many conflicts between humans and angara, both personal and political. Human culture still holds many stereotypes originating from oppressive, sexist cultures in Earth’s history.


	4. Angaran Biology - Sex and Intercourse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Note: This chapter contains descriptions of genitalia and sexual acts comparable to those found in real-world encyclopedias. View at your own discretion.

## Sex and Intercourse

Adult angara exhibit very little sexual dimorphism. Height, physical build, tone of voice, shape of jinesh (cowl, folds of skin curving around the head), and many other physical characteristics range along a wide spectrum of variability in all angara. Most children undergo puberty at 10-12 years of age, when they begin to express physical features of either sex. The shelesh term for sexual maturity is _ sanjonn, _ which simply means “decided curve,” in contrast to _ byjonn _ , an “undecided curve”. Since angara are hermaphroditic _(aasabitara)_, the _ ijonn _ (curve) and associated reproductive organs can change throughout an individual’s lifetime. Although rare, some angara are dualsex _(lavijonn)_, expressing functional male and female sexual organs at the same time, or are reproductively neutral _(kavijonn)_ and unable to reproduce. 

Both _ sanjonn _ and transitioning between sexes as an adult _(evfrijonn)_ are hormonally and socially mediated. Angaran researchers on all of the homeworlds have discovered extracts from various local fauna and flora that induce the hormonal changes needed to transition in either direction within a few months - male to female or female to male. Scientific history is rife with entertaining personal stories of these discoveries, many of which were accidental. One can imagine the confusion and potential frustration of an angara whose favorite fruit is an unknown _ evfra _ (changer). In contrast, social cues for _ efvrijonn _seem to be varied and instinctive, such as the loss of many children in a community disaster, but are poorly understood.

External genitalia are similar in both sexes, with male genitalia _(relesh)_ curving outward to match the inward curve of female genitalia _(oelesh)_. Reproduction and excretion occur via separate orifices on opposite sides of the body. Each angara has an oval region on the lower groin with a genital slit, slightly less than the length of their palm in size. The shape of an aroused_ (ijonni)_ angara’s ‘moon’ _(elesh)_ _ , _ as it is commonly called in many angaran cultures, is exaggerated: a female’s is more deeply cupped, while a male’s protrudes more strongly. _ Lavijonn _ and _ kavijonn _angara have sexually functional genitalia with no particular curvature.

Sexual intercourse, or _ gati _ , broadly refers to erogenous contact with the _ elesh _ or anus _(ekrits)_ of another angara. Genital _(ijonnata)_, oral _(shennata)_, bioelectric _(siddata)_, and tactile _(ddolata)_ sexual contact are all common and have many expressions, with interest varying by cultural, physical, and individual preferences. Angara have several additional erogenous zones, particularly along the lower and inner edges of the _ jinesh _ (including the mammary channels), the neck, down the spine, and lower abdomen near the _ elesh _. Of note, the secretion that normally seals the slit of an angara’s ‘moon’ readily dissolves with either saliva or sexual secretions, and the inner walls have highly sensitive erogenous zones. 

> Example 1) Torvar has _ oelesh _ (an inward-curving genital moon) and their partner Rollu currently has _ rylesh _ (an outward curving genital moon). Both enjoy _ ijonnata _ (sexual stimulation via contact between genitalia), but Torvar prefers _ ddolata _(sexual stimulation using the hands).
> 
> Example 2) Jaal is _ binnwjonn _ (pansexual) and finds _ shennata _ (sexual stimulation via oral contact) more arousing with an angara that has _ oelesh _ than with one that has _ rylesh _ . They are curious what _ shennata _ might be like with a human or turian partner of either sex.

Ejaculation or ‘spilling’ _(wamale _ or _wame)_ into the _ elesh _ typically occurs relatively quickly after erotic stimulation begins, and generates a pleasurable physical response in both angara. Continued stimulation potentially results in a second, more intense sexual climax. Angara secrete a highly conductive bioluminescent gel and flexible oval capsule the width of their thumb, known as a seed _(vinas)_. This gel is a water-based aphrodisiac and readily unseals angarans’ slits, spilling the fluid and _ vinas _ into the other’s _ elesh _ if they are coupling, and enhancing their continued pleasure. The _ vinas _ of a male angara is a spermatophore filled with motile flagellated sperm _(revinas)_. It is typically darker (although still bioluminescent) and more opaque, with curved ridges on the outer surface that aid in attachment to the interior of the partner’s pouch. Other _ vinas _are simply filled with gel, and dissolve more rapidly than a spermatophore.

**Note:** The spermatophore capsule from a male angara dissolves in approximately an hour, releasing sperm to travel up the reproductive ducts and fertilize eggs. If reproduction is not desired, the _ vinas _ can be removed within this time period.


	5. Angaran Biology - Reproduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby angara have to come out of those eggs sometime! This chapter includes information about angaran eggs, fertilization, birthing, nursing, and childhood development. The adorable baby angara drawn by ["Lonicera-Caprifolium"](https://lonicera-caprifolium.tumblr.com/post/172679724643/i-cant-get-the-image-of-tiny-tiny-angara-babies) were a _huge_ inspiration for this chapter! Search 'angara' on their blog for more.
> 
> _Lengths of time are given in terms of Havarl's astronomy, with Terran (Earth) times for comparison.___

## Reproduction 

Angara are non-therian mammals, exhibiting ovoviviparity and nursing their young, similar to the Terran echidna or platypus. Baby angara are born in small litters of 1-4 kits _(osaan,_ plural _ osaang, _ a litter is _ osaanji__)._ Their gestation period is approximately 35 Havarl days, or 5 weeks (the equivalent of 101.5 Terran days, 3.4 months), incubating the eggs _(___o_ogom_, a group or litter is _ oogomji)_ within a female angara’s genital pouch _(__hoven)__._ Reproduction begins with the placement of a viable spermatophore packet, or ‘seed’ _ (vinas),_ from a male angara into a female angara’s pouch. The flexible packet dissolves over the course of an hour, releasing sperm to travel up the reproductive ducts and fertilize the eggs. Both the _ vinas _ and _ oogom _travel through this duct. If reproduction is not desired, the ‘seed’ can be removed within this time period. 

Their colorful, oval eggs have a thin, flexible, rubbery shell which is mottled with the same color pattern as the angara producing the eggs. Unfertilized eggs are small, similar in size to _ vinas, _ while fertilized eggs easily fill the mother's palm. Eggs are generated approximately every 7 Havarl days, with an additional egg added each week. After the 4th ovulation cycle, the oldest egg is reabsorbed into the angara’s body if they remain unfertilized. The following week the second egg is absorbed, and the pattern continues until all _ oogomji _ are absorbed. In total the cycle is 8 Havarl weeks long, with 1 week where they are carrying 4 viable unfertilized eggs. This cycle is generally not burdensome or even monitored by many angara unless they are planning for children. Angara do not menstruate like humans.

The equivalent of pregnancy in angara is _ oogalyom _ (being ovigerous, carrying eggs). The enlargement of the incubation pouch during _ oogalyom _ varies with brood size, remaining fairly inconspicuous until the last week with 1 or 2 eggs. Larger broods result in a more noticeable abdominal bulge. Fertilized eggs can only survive safely outside of a mother’s pouch for a short while - perhaps an hour under good conditions. During this time fertilized eggs can be carefully transferred between mature angara, ensuring both the true mother’s freedom and the safety of the young. It is not uncommon for one mother to carry another's eggs with their own, as the distinctive shell coloration aids in distinguishing the broods.

Nutrition of the eggs during this time is provided via the egg yolk, while environmental conditions are regulated by the mother’s body. Eggs are approximately the length of an adult’s finger, easily held in the palm of one hand. The egg does not increase in size, with the embryo growing from a single cell to completely fill the egg before hatching. The eggshell dissolves after approximately 27 Havarl days, or 4 weeks (11.2 Terran weeks) of incubation, after which the kit or kits must remain within a mother’s pouch for their continued development. Kits typically double in size during the last week of their incubation, during which time they are nursing on a thick, milky secretion that has been deposited over the interior of the pouch. 

> **Note: **Angara of any sex can adequately protect eggs within their _hoven _(pouch). _Ryaa _(male) or _kavijonn_ (neutral sex) angara who begin carrying another’s eggs for any significant length of time undergo a rapid and physically tiring transition _(__evfrijonn)_ to become _ooya _(female) in less than a week, in order to biologically support the eggs through their development. Although _lavijonn _(dual sex) angara are uncommon, their bodies are also fully capable of incubating eggs throughout their development.

Female angara do not have sexual intercourse while _ oogalyom _(ovigerous, incubating young), either eggs or the kits. In this too, the highly integrated angaran community plays a role, as it is commonplace for a brood of eggs to be shared with one or several other mothers during gestation, providing a much-needed physical and mental break from the stress. In more extreme cases, such as illness, injury, a very physically demanding or hazardous job, or some type of major mid-incubation change, the brood of eggs can be transferred to another mother to complete their development and birthing. While rare and not decided upon lightly, angara typically view it as better for the kits and for the family as a whole. 

Birthing is a relatively simple and painless process, as the kits are born live but were never directly linked to the mother’s body. When the kits have depleted the pouch of nutrients, they will become increasingly active and quest for food. This occurs approximately 35 Havarl days, or 5 weeks (101.5 Terran days), after conception. The kits will eventually find the mother’s slit, which is sealed with a routinely secreted compound that contains pheromones also present in their milk. This seal is highly soluble in saliva, and the kits lick their way free of the pouch, in principle. In practice, the mother often loosens the seal themselves after noticing the increasingly insistent efforts of the hungry newborn kits. 

Angara kits _(osaang)_ are precocious and a literal handful - one newborn kit typically fills an angara’s broad hand. The base colors of their skin are present from birth, with the amount of speckling varying based on their parents’ skin patterns. They are born with their eyes and nasal slits closed by a gelatinous seal that dries out within minutes of exposure to the air. The mother and other family members who help with the birthing wrap the newborn _ osaang _ in cool, damp hooded garments called _ wijin,_ which facilitate the transition from breathing entirely via the gills inside the mother’s _ hoven_ (pouch), to breathing through the nasal slits and gills in comparatively dry air. Newborn _ osaang _ are physically active, grabbing onto clothing and family with their hands and feet (both are called _ jyn _ in Shelesh), and typically cry out with voice and _ tsiddvfira _ (bioelectricity) until they begin nursing._Tsiddvfira _ is very mild in newborn _ osaang,_ but they express themselves without restraint.

Along the inner edge of the forward-most arcs of the _ jinesh _(cowl) are mammary glands for nursing the kits. Milk is secreted through mammary pores into four depressed channels that develop along the skin, where it pools and is lapped up by the kit. Active nursing stimulates milk secretion to a point, but mothers with litters of three or four kits may be stressed by the demand and seek nursing support from another mother. 

Kits grow rapidly during the first 5 weeks (3.6 Terran months), at which point they are typically crawling, and a fair armful. Growth then progresses more slowly, with kits learning to use their long, powerful legs to propel themselves around the room on all fours, tumbling over each other and jumping before they can even walk. Their _ tsiddvfira _ begins increasing in strength and complexity as they learn to express themselves more fully, and learning to control _ tsiddvfirra _is as essential for an angara as learning to walk. Walking most commonly begins near 9-12 weeks (6.5-8.7 Terran months). Angara are similar in size to an average year-old human or asaari child after 12 Havarl weeks of age, and nursing is commonly continued for the first year, depending on the environment. Young angara are often cared for and taught in groups of 6-10, and commonly sleep communally with their siblings until close to puberty.

**Author's Note:**

> For more frequent snippets and linguistics information, come follow [Angaran Expansion Project](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/angaranexpansionproject) on Tumblr.  



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